Death Valley can only be the name for a campus with promising features. Bursting with festive colors of purple and gold, Louisiana State University can be seen from a mile away. While rivals have evolved over the years. In the past Auburn and Alabama have been considered competitive equals. Now the Aggies have been added to the list. As a Bryan/College Station native, most would assume I’m an Aggie fan, but my allegiance rests with the Tigers.

In Aggieland most focus on the greatness of A&M traditions, but it isn’t the only school with deep roots. LSU also has traditions that date back decades including tailgating, their band, and Mike the Tiger. Mike the Tiger is a live tiger on campus. During home Football games they park Mike’s cage next to the opponents tunnel. It’s the first thing the coaches and players see before they walk out to the field.

Texas A&M usually play each other in the Month of November. During that time nothing but the color of maroon is seen on game day . It has been 21 years since Texas A&M has defeated LSU in football. LSU ended their 2015 season with 770 wins , the 12th most wins in Division 1. LSU tigers have the 11th highest winning percentage among teams with at least 1,000 games played. On the more humorous side of college traditions, the Aggies aren’t the only ones to be made fun of on a national scale. The Tigers are no strangers to the nickname corn dogs. It’s unclear how the name came about but it’s been going on for years. The rumor was started by an Auburn fan , for those who don’t know Auburn is located in Alabama. The University is basically in the middle of nowhere which explains why Auburn fans are called Barners . Barners just mean people of the deserted village or people in the plains. Now ask yourself , would you rather be a corn dog or a barner?

Many people still may be on the fence about believing that LSU is a great college with outstanding programs, but there are countless people who have attended and went on to pursue greatness. Many people got their start by playing sports or just by starting a career in businesses. Shaquille O’Neal, Ben Simmons, Odell Beckham Jr. graced the roll sheets of LSU professors at one point and now they’re all playing sports on a professional level. Not only is LSU good athletically but they have succeeded academically in many programs.

Rooting for a different Team in a town full of Aggies can be difficult, but it’s important to know that someone may support another team and that Universities do exist outside of Texas A&M. Being a student at LSU can prove to provide opportunities and also prove that Purple & gold is just as good if not better Maroon & White.